Han-Wei Shen, PhD, professor in the College of Engineering, has earned The Ohio State University 2026 Distinguished Scholar Award. Senior leadership in the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge recently surprised Shen with the honor.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award, which I share with my dedicated students, colleagues, and collaborators,” said Shen. “This award is as much theirs as it is mine.”
Shen’s primary research interests are data visualization, machine learning, high performance computing and computer graphics.
"Dr. Shen, your pioneering work in integrating deep learning to create highly efficient workflows has led to several high-level visualization and machine learning techniques," said John M. Horack, vice president for research. "These innovations are tackling the computational and data challenges of massive simulations and complex AI models."
Added College of Engineering Dean Ayanna Howard, “It's not just about your research, it's also coupled with really sharing your expertise with the next generation. So thank you for that.”
“Han-Wei is the whole package,” Department Chair Anish Arora shared. “He's fundamentally a great scholar. He's been an amazing teacher in so many ways. He is a true servant to the department and his community. He's a great colleague and, most of all, a good human being."
Shen is an internationally renowned computer scientist and a global pioneer whose foundational research has shaped the fields of data visualization and computer graphics over the last three decades. His work empowers scientists to analyze massive, complex data essential for modern discovery. His standing is confirmed by the field's highest honors: the 2024 IEEE VGTC Visualization Technical Achievement Award, recognizing his breakthroughs in extreme-scale data and AI integration; and his induction into the exclusive IEEE Visualization Academy in 2020. Beyond his research mastery, Shen is a dedicated mentor, having graduated 32 Ph.D. students and earned the Department's Outstanding Teaching Award three times for his commitment to excellence in education and seamlessly integrating cutting-edge research into the classroom experience. Before joining Ohio State in 1999, he worked at NASA Ames Research Center. He received doctorate from the University of Utah, his master’s degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his bachelor’s from National Taiwan University.
The Distinguished Scholar Award is among the highest annual honors awarded at Ohio State. The university-level award annually honors six faculty members who demonstrate scholarly activity, conduct research or creative works that represent exceptional achievements in their fields and garner distinction for the university.
Award recipients are nominated by their departments and chosen by a committee of senior faculty, including past award recipients. Distinguished Scholars receive an honorarium and a research grant to be used over the next three years.
Quotes from Shen’s nomination:
“Throughout the past 30 years, Professor Shen has done pioneering research that has shaped the foundation of data visualization…I would also like to mention that since he joined Ohio State University in 1999, he has graduated 27 PhD, all in various areas of visualization. His dedication to educating our next generation workforce in visualization is truly outstanding.” Chris R. Johnson, University of Utah.
“He designs and develops representations of scientific data to help people understand the data better, perform more effective analysis on it, and communicate its importance to others. Dr. Shen is an innovative and creative researcher who has made a lasting impact on our field, and I believe that he would be a highly deserving recipient of this award.,” John T. Stasko, Georgia Tech.
“The career achievements of Professor Shen bear witness to a dedication to the highest standards of scientific work, producing achievements which have been recognized in awards and prizes. His excellent leadership is evidenced by the impressive list of high impact research projects Prof. Shen has been the principal investigator of. These projects have had a fundamental impact on the work being done in several data intensive disciplines today. His contributions span a range of areas, but all have the signature of foundational approaches to general problems.” Anders Ynnerman, Linköping University.
“Professor Shen’s guidance was patient, insightful, and tailored to each student’s strengths. He has a unique ability to break down complex concepts into manageable insights, helping his students grasp challenging topics while encouraging them to think critically and independently. During my years under his guidance, he provided an environment that fostered intellectual curiosity, creativity, and rigorous research. His encouragement and insightful feedback were instrumental to me in developing my dissertation and subsequent career trajectory.” Chaoli Wang, University of Notre Dame.